If I had a dollar for every time I mentioned how intimidating growing up can be, I’d probably have enough cash to be set for life. As scary as certain aspects of adulthood can seem, you kinda just have to roll with them and get accustomed to it all.
Especially during a global pandemic.
For 21-year-old Swedish singer and songwriter LOVA, this couldn’t be more true. “Real life became… very quickly real,” she recalls. It’s a little mind boggling to remember the fact most of the world is almost a year into a “new norm,” but perhaps it’s because time can fly by quickly when you’re busy. Many have taken up new hobbies during this time, but LOVA has continued to fuel a lifelong burning passion for making music.
LOVA was born into a musical household, with her father being an opera singer. She’s been playing the piano since she was three years old, and has been writing songs since she was seven. School days were sluggish, and often a struggle for LOVA. Music was not only a way for her to express herself, but it was also a huge confidence booster.
LOVA’s parents took note of it all, and supported her every step of the way. “I think they saw how good it made me feel,” she says. “First of all being good at something, because school was never something for me and I struggled so much growing up. It was so liberating for me to feel good at something.”
So in 2011, LOVA submitted an entry to participate in Lilla Melodifestivalen, a national singing competition. Once she was invited to audition, her excitement (and nerves) shot through the roof. While other contestants were accompanied with their managers, LOVA had just brought her father with her. He strongly believed that music was something LOVA could make a career out of, and cheered her on through the finals.
By the way, LOVA ended up winning, and went off to compete in Junior Eurovision. After coming in sixth place, she was offered a record deal, but her parents advised her against signing. In her own words, they “pulled the breaks a bit and took me back a few steps.” LOVA was just 13 at the time, and much better opportunities would lay ahead.
LOVA began attending Rytmus Music School, following the footsteps of Robyn, Tove Lo, and Icona Pop. Just one year in, she signed with Universal, and the world opened up for her even more. In 2018, she released her debut EP Scripted Reality, and a string of singles followed. Through it all, her goal was to be an example for girls and speak (or better yet, sing!) the truths of her generation.
Now that her teen years are gone, LOVA is trying to figure out how to navigate through the vast frontier that is adulthood. Her debut album Grown-ish captures the emotions she’s experienced during this time – emotions that many young adults will quickly be able to relate to. She spills, “I feel like I’m slowly but surely growing up and leaving my teenage years behind me, but I’m still kinda bouncing between the two worlds. That’s why I called it Grown-ish, I feel like I have one foot in my teenage years and one foot in adulthood. I don’t really know where I fit in right now, because I feel like somedays I’m like the smallest person ever who no one took seriously and has no idea where I’m headed. Then other days I feel like the coolest person ever with everything going for myself.”
Balancing these feelings can be a challenge for anyone. LOVA admits that she feels “like I’m going back and forth all the time, but it’s also super liberating growing up and becoming my own person and building life on my own. But it’s also scary and confusing at the same time.”
Not only can adulthood be confusing, but it can also be extremely overwhelming. (And for what?) This feeling was especially channeled into “Sleep Forever,” which LOVA crowned her favorite track on Grown-ish. “I’m definitely one of those people where when I wake up, the first thing I do is watch the news or go to social media,” she says. “Then there’s just a wave of news and negative energy and stuff that’s going on in the world. You’re just feeling drained before you get up some days.”
A good pick-me-up can help fight that *lord give me the strength* feeling, and Grown-ish is the perfect opportunity for listeners to dance off the stress of the world for about half an hour. Although LOVA originally did not intend on making this a “pop anthem-style” album, the idea just came organically.
“I am a person who really loves to control everything,” LOVA confessed. (And guess what? I’m the exact same way.) After attending some studio sessions, she completely ditched her expectations for how she felt the album should sound. Many of us might have expectations for how we think certain things should play out, including life. This can easily contribute to many of our everyday pressures, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow and let things take shape on their own. This is how Grown-ish was constructed, and LOVA advises, “If you let go of that control, things can turn out so much more better and beautiful than you can imagine it to be.”
And if music makes you lose control, stream Grown-ish below!
If you enjoyed reading my chat with LOVA, be sure to say hi to her on Instagram @lovamusic and Twitter @lovaalvilde!
